Maximum cut out



A. THODE.

MAXIMUM CUT-OUT.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.31,19l5.

1,41 1,389. Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

mmf@ l ./zzefzff/wde WML; y has/Ziggy following is a specification.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT TI-IODE, OFHAMBURG, GERMANY.

MAXIMUM CUT OUT,

Specification of Letters Patent. l

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

, .Application nieiiAugiist e1, `1915. serial No. 481,368.

(GRANTEI) UNDER THE rRovIsroNs or ACT or MARCH s, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

To all whom it mag/concern.' v

' Be1 it known that I, ALBERT Trionn,a sub- "ect of the Emperor of Germany, residing in lamhurg, Germany, Sonnistr," 17/18, have invented certain new and useful VImprovements in Maximum CutOuts,-'of which the This invention relates to improvements in electrical apparatus and particularly to over load circuithreakers or maximum cut-,out

switches. a

, One object of this invent-ion is lto provide an apparatus of this lrind which is simple in construction and effective and reliable in operation. v

My improved switch is'. provided ivith main and auxiliary contacts, and is so arranged that itis impossible to close the circuit if at the time there is 'an excessive current therein, even though theop'erator holds the handle of the switch inclosed position.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and While herein minute Vdetails otl theinvention are described, `the invention is not limited to these Since many and various changes may he made Without departing fromthe scope of the invention as claimec.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by ivay of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention;-

i Figure l is a side view; i

Fig'. 2 is a plan, and l y y Fig. 3 is a Vsection taken on the line ATB of Figure 2;

Similar letters refer 'to similaipai-ts throughout the several views.

"lhev handle b1 is secured to the lshaft Z) journaled in the casing of the cut-out. gear orl toothedwheel 'a is loosely lmounted on the shalt Z1 and is pro-videdon itsupper side with a lseries ofratchet teeth. `These teethV co-operate with other conveniently shaped ratchet teeth on the adjacent end of a `boss c, mounted shift-ably on the'shaftb.

The lteeth on the gear aand the boss c constitute a clutch'-coupling.` lf the same is thrown into" gear, the boss @engages at. each turning of thevha'ndle' b1 the gear o. This gear @also engages a rack (Z (Fig. 2) 'forniing a part of the switchingdevice di, which is provided atone end with the contact e which, when shifted to the left tot' Figure I 2) hya turning of the handle, engages the contacts el and Ve2."` The other end the switch-y ing-dev1ce (Z1 is provided With an insulating' piece ed ivhich, on turning the handle b1 for the purpose of breaking the' circuit, en-

ters hetiveen the auxiliary contacts c3 and el.' controlled by compression springs e6, and separates them from each other, Whereas these auxiliarycontacts ivill engage each other. if the switching device Z1 is shifted in the oppositer direction for closing the ycircuit by bridging the lcontacts el and e2 by c.'

prior to being opened at c and c4, y Il the clutch-coupling isthroivn into gear so that. the gear ci and the huh c engage cach 'other` the sivitcliinglevie d1 can he brought into. theclosing position by turning the handle 1, Wlierebya spring L (Fig. is coinpressed.y The spring 7L may he applied in any convenient manner, for instance, he-

tiveen an abutment Yh1 andthe end of the Aopen central portion of the switching device (Z1. In the closing' position a paivl g, jour# naled at g? on the `frame. and actuated hy a 'spring Orits oivn Weight, comes into eug'agement behind al shoulder g2 ('Fig.'r l.) on the sivitchingdevice Z1 and maintains the latter inthe closing position. v

' The gear a and huh lc ivlieir-coupled to- "gether, hy relative engagement may` he uncouple-d either. by an electroinagnet `with its armature 761, or hy' a turning oit the handle b1, for the purpose of' breaking' the cir# cuit. For this purpose the hess c is secured to a lever f by a tenon f1 fastened to it with sufficient play, which lever f is journaled aty f2 inthe frame. The action oi vgravity holds the lever f and boss odepressed, so that springs need not he used unless desired.. The lever is provided at its inner endivith the army]L13 and the arm f* transverse thereto (Fig. 2). AUnder the arm f4 is located a lever 7a2 journaled on the frame at 7c?. (Fig. 3) and secured at one end to the arma-ture 'k1 ofz the electro-magnet and adapted at its l other end to engage beneath the arm 7'* and the pawl ,r/. The arm also engages under the pan'l ,f/ and is adapted to litt the latter.

li the armature al ot the electro-magnet be actuated the .lever moves upwards and thereby li'lts the payvl (y out ot engagement with the locking' shoulder f/ ot the switchinggjdevicc r/l and raises also the lever 7"., whereby the ratchet teeth loit the boss c are lifted out ot engagen'ient with the ratchet teeth oi" the gear (l. The gear ff, secured loosely on thc shaft 'b is thereby disengaged. so that the snf'itchinnwlevicc fl" brought into the voit-position under tho action ot the compress il sprint` 7a. Consequently any increase ot the strength ot curi-cnt in the riectro-magnct beyond a determined limit will produce the automatic linealting oli the current. The armature Ztl is yieldably held in raised position by the spring; vn, teiisioned between a perforated lng 7a4 on the ar1na ture and a bracket m1 mounted on the trame ot' the switch. l

It is equally possible to operate my device by hand. If the handle b1 is turned for the purpose ot breakin;r the circuit, the slant-infr surfaces of the ratchet-teeth on the front of thc Ieear a will raise the coupling boss c, whereby the same result is obtained as by lifting of the lever f by the attraction of the armature 701 of the electroonagnet. The paivl g is then thrown out ot engagement and the switchingr device (Z1 springs back into the off-position.

The operation of the cut-out is as follows: If the handle b1 is turned for the purpose ot switching in, the switching-device (Z1 in y the first place moved so tar that thc circuit is closed at the auxiliary contacts e3. c, which are located in the circuit of the electro-rnagnet c parallel to the principal contacts el and e2. If the strength ol the current be normal, the coupling between the handle and the switching device remains unaltered and the closing of the circuit takes place at the principal contacts e1 and e2. If the strength of the current should rise cxcessively the disengagement is produced automatically, by the attraction of the armature, the raising ot the lever g, and the consequent release of the switching device d and its unsvvitching movement under the action of the spring 7L. It switching-oil? is to be done by hand, the coupling between o and ct can be opened by a simple turning of the handle b1 in the opposite direction and switching-off takes place in the same manner as if it had been effected by the electro-magnet. But il" in the moment oi.' sn'itchinnin an excessive current should be present, the armature will be attracted as soon as the circuit` is closed at the auxiliary contacts e3. e", whereby the coupling between c and a is disengaged so that any 'Further shifting of the switching-device'(Zl and with it any switching-in of the principal contacts el and e2 can no longer be accomplished by turning the handle o.

What- I claim as my invention and desire to secure by llnitcd States Patent is l. In a maximum cut-out, the combination ol a pair otI main contacts; a switching device normally pressed away from said contacts and adapted to electrically connect them: a handle member: a pair ot ratchet members. one operatively connected with said device and the other adapted to be driven in either direction by said handle member, said ratchet members being provided with intenengaringr ratchet teeth whereby when said handle member is moved in one direction the ratchet members are separated. and when driven in the other direction the switching device is moved against said contacts; a pawl adapted to hold said device against said contacts; a tripping' device adapted to release said pawl and to separate said ratchet members and to be actuated by the separation ol said meinbers to release said pawl; and an electric actuated device adapted to cause said tripping` device to separate said ratchet members or release said pawl.

52. ln a maximum cut-out. the combination ot a pair ot main contacts; an electro-magnet connected therewith; a pair ot flexible auxiliary contacts normally in contact With each other: a switching device provided with a rack and a shoulder and adapted when moved in one direction to electrically connect said main contacts and when moved iu the other direct-ion to electrically separate said auxiliary contacts; a handle shaft; a toothed ivhecl loosely inminted on said shaft and meshing' with said rack and provided with click-teeth: a boss constrained to rotate with said shait and provided with clickteeth intermeshing with said first 'named teeth and adapted to cause the separation of said hub and Wheel when the handle is rotated in one direction and to cause the Wheel to rotate and close said head against said main contacts when the handle is rotated in the other direction; a pawl adapted to engaa'e said shoulder and hold said head closed against said main contacts; a tri pping` lever adapted to raise and be raised. by said hub and adapted to raise said pawl; an armature-lever adapted to raise said tripping lever; and an armature on said armaturedever and influenced by said electromagnet.

3. In a maximum cutout, the combination of a pair of main contacts; an electro-magnet in series with the contacts; a pair of flexible auxiliary contacts electrically connected to the main contacts respectively, and adapted to contact each other; a switching device provided with a contact head adapted to engage and connect said main contacts,

with an insulating piece adapted to engage and separate said auxiliary `eontaets, and With a shoulder; a rack on said device; ay

handle shaft; a toothed wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and engaging said rack and provided with atehet teeth; a ratchet boss slidably mounted on said shaft and held against rotation `relative. thereto and pro vided with teeth engaging said ifatchet teeth; a pawl adapted to engage said shoul-` der and hold said head in engagement With said main contacts; a spring tending to inove said device away from said main contact-s; a tripping lever engaging said hub andengaging under `said paWl and adapted to raise or be raised by said hub and adapted to raise said pawl; an armature lever having one end engaged under said tripping lever; and an armature Carried on the othei end'of said armature lever and near said electromagnet.v f

ln witness whereof l have hereunto signed in v nanie this 3rd day of August, 1915, in

subscribing Witnesses. g ALBERT THODE. Witnesses:

. F. L; REHLI,Y 1 l FRANCIS L. STEWART.

the presence of two 

